'Made by Google' 2019 event: Pixel 4 and other announcements
What's the story
At the 2019 'Made by Google' event in New York, Google has launched its latest hardware products including the Pixel 4 smartphones, Pixel Buds, new Pixelbook Go laptop, and several Nest Home products. However, the countless leaks around the new products not only made viewers feel disinterested but also the presenters. But anyway, here's everything Google announced. Skip if you've been following tech news.
Information
Google Stadia launching on November 19
Google's online gaming streaming service, Stadia, will officially launch on November 19 in the US, Canada, and the UK. It will allow you to play games anywhere and on any screen over the Internet. However, you'll have to buy games like any other digital storefront.
Highlight #1
Pixel Buds
Matching up with rivals, Google has launched its first-ever truly-wireless earbuds: Pixel Buds. They offer an in-ear fit and pack custom sound drivers, beam-forming mics, and chips that can process on-device machine learning. Further, they can last up to 5 hours on a single charge and offer 24 hours charge via the wireless charging case. The Pixel Buds will arrive in 2020 at $179.
Highlight #2
Pixelbook Go
Google has also announced a new Pixelbook Go which features a ribbed texture on the bottom and a matte finish on the top panel. The Chrome OS-based laptop features a 13.3-inch touchscreen display with "ultra-quiet" Hush Keys, up to 12 hour battery life, up to Intel Core i7 processors, 8GB/16GB of RAM, and 64GB/128GB/256GB of storage. The Pixelbook Go is priced at $649.
Highlight #3
Nest Home products and services
Alongside the Pixel Buds and Pixelbook Go, the company has also launched a new Nest Home Mini smart speaker ($49), New Wi-Fi router and mesh access points called the Point. Google has also re-introduced Nest Aware service, which is Google's home security system coverage subscription service for Google Home/Nest products. The Home app has also been updated.
Design and display
Highlight #4: Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL
The Pixel 4 smartphones feature an edge-to-edge notch-less display with a chunky top bezel that houses sensors for touch-less Motion Sense and face unlock. On the rear, the glass panel packs a square-shaped dual-camera system. The standard model has a 5.7-inch full-HD+ HDR OLED screen while the Pixel 4 XL gets a 6.3-inch QHD+ display. Notably, both handsets also support 90Hz dynamic refresh rate.
Cameras
Pixel 4 series: For the shutterbugs and selfie lovers
The Pixel 4 duo packs a dual-lens rear camera with a 12.2MP (f/1.7) main sensor and a 16MP (f/2.4) telephoto lens. On the front, the handsets come with a single 8MP selfie snapper. And like always, this hardware is aided by computational photography features like live HDR+ with dual exposure controls, learning-based white balancing, wider-range portrait mode, and Night Sight with astrophotography.
Internals
Under the hood
The Pixel 4 series is powered by a Snapdragon 855 chipset, paired with Pixel Neural Core coprocessor, upto 6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB of storage. Under the hood, the Pixel 4 packs a 2,800mAh battery while the XL model gets a 3,700mAh battery. However, both support 18W wired fast-charging and wireless charging. Lastly, they come with stereo speakers, on-device Google Assistant, and run Android 10.
Information
Pricing and availability
The Pixel 4 starts at $799 in the US while the bigger Pixel 4 XL starts at $899. Both models are available for pre-ordering via the Google Store.